Trump Says Border Wall Would Be First Line Of Defense

posted by RJ Johnson - @rickerthewriter -

During a trip to San Diego, California on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said a massive border wall between the U.S. and Mexico would be the "first line of defense" for the country.

"The fact is, if you don't have a wall system, it would be bedlam, I imagine," Trump told reporters during a brief stop near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump got an up-close look at several prototypes that were built in San Diego, for a massive 2,000-mile wall that would run along the border between the U.S. and Mexico. The president even told reporters about which wall he preferred be built.

"You have to have see-through. You have to know what's on the other side of the wall. And I mean, a preference is something like that, but you don't know what's on the other side of the wall."

The border wall prototypes stand around 30-feet tall, and are constructed out of concrete and steel. The walls foundations extend almost six feet into the ground.

A border wall that would stop the illegal flow of immigrants, gangs and drugs to the U.S. from pouring in was one of Trump's first campaign promises. He told voters while running that his administration would take the fight to the cartels who were smuggling drugs into the country. "And they have the cartels, and the cartels, we're fighting the cartels. We're fighting them hard. No one's ever fought them like we fought 'em," Trump said.

Trump says a country without a wall system, is not a country.

"If you don't have a wall system, we're not going to have a country. There's a lot of problems in Mexico... they have a lot of problems over there," Trump said.

Trump took the opportunity to blast California's recently passed sanctuary laws which prevent local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agents with deportations.

"The smugglers, the traffickers, the gang members, they're all taking refuge. And I think a lot of people in California understand that, and a lot of people from a lot of other places understand that, and they don't want sanctuary cities."

The president also escalated the war of words with California's governor, Jerry Brown, calling him a 'nice guy that's failed the state.

"Brown has done a very poor job running California. They have the highest taxes in the United States, the place is totally out-of-control."

Trump's visit comes just days after his Justice Department sued to block California's sanctuary laws, that they say are putting the country at risk.

Preliminary estimates for a 2,000-mile wall have hit $20 billion dollars. Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall.